Gelling



April 25, 1961 H. GELLING 2,981,469

REVOLUTIONS COUNTING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES Filed Aug. 13, 1956 2.Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2 73 72/77 74 75 678 April 25, 1961 GELUNG 2,981,469

REVOLUTIONS COUNTING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES Filed Aug. 13, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1/2 (/61? for United States Patent REVOLUTIONS COUNTING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES Helmut Gelling, Ulm, Germany, assignor to Walther Biiromaschinen Gesellschaft m.b.H., Gerstetten, Wurttemberg, Germany, a firm Filed Aug. 13, 1956, Ser. No. 603,632

Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 25, 1955 8 Claims. (Cl. 235-91) The invention relates to a revolutions counting mechanism for calculating machines, with additive and subtractive stepwise actuation of the effective multiplier wheel, tens transfer mechanism and zeroizing mechanism and has for its object to simplify these devices in their structure and in their mutual arrangement and to improve their elfect and reliability.

The known machines of this kind have an intricate structure, a great space required and need for their working much time. Zeroizing mostly is performed by hand under shifting and rotating the shaft of the counting mechanism. Reversing wheels will be used for the stepwise adding and subtracting actuation of the counting wheels as well as for the tens transfer mechanism. A' simplified and more reliable arrangement will be obtained in that, according to the invention a single acting tens transfer mechanism without peculiar tens transfer preparation means is used together with means for successively taking up the back lash by an echelon member whereby the echelon member on its revolution causes the stepwise actuation of the effective multiplier order by means of an actuating finger walking along an adjustable lashing curve. By these measures the stepwise actuation of the counting wheels and the entire tens transfer proceeding will be concentrated and simplified, whereby the velocity and the reliability of the machine is increased.

In order to avoid a concussion-like stress of the concerned members, in particular of the actuating finger, and

in spite of the use of a single actuated transfer mechanism in which on every passage from nine to zero or from zero to nine of a counting wheel the next higher counting wheel and, in the case of a transfer running through, a great number of counting wheels, more than one counting wheel are simultaneously actuated the tens transfer works with a great back lash in each order, for instance one fourth of an actuation unit, and the taking up of the back lash is performed simultaneously with the stepwise actuation of the counting wheels or somewhat later by a rectifying actuation of the counting wheels one after the other by means of lugs which are pressed by a helically formed ledge into the gaps of the counting wheels.

The actuating finger for the stepwise actuation of the just effective counting wheel is mounted on a pawl usually kept resiliently in a middle position. The journal pin of the pawl describes an arched-like movement which, by stopping the pawl at the one or the other side, forces the actuating finger to describe a lashing curve whereby the counting wheel is taken-with in the one or the other direction.

A sign setting arm cooperates alternatively with the stop pins located each at one side of, the journal pin of the pawl by means of two lateral recesses. It is obtained thereby, without a reversing wheel gear, that the stepwise actuation and the tens transfer are enabled to act by the same means in additive or subtractive direction.

To this system the mechanism for the zeroizing of the revolution counting mechanism is adapted. The zeroizing 'ice will be brought about by rocking the counting wheels into spring influenced rack gears which under the action of their springs move the counting wheels until they are arrested by stop teeth in their zero position. On engaging the counting wheels roof-shaped lugs used for correcting the tens transfer will be brought out of mesh of the counting wheels, at the same time the abutment bar for the zeroizing is brought into its effective position. Thus it is obtained, that the amount contained in the revolutions counting mechanism, in spite of thezeroizing, will be retained and may be used otherwise.

Other characteristics of the invention result from the following description of an example of an embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the revolutions counting mechanism in working position.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view in the zeroizing position.

Fig. 3 is a top view of a part of the revolutions counting mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view of the step wise actuating mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an appertaining top view.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the shifting mechanism for the actuating wheel.

The counting frame bearing the transversal shafts 1, 2, 3 and 4 (Fig. l) is rockably mounted on levers 6 and 7 of which the lever 6 embracing the shaft 2 is rockably mounted on a shaft 8 mounted in the machine frame.

The lever 7 embracing the shaft 4 is mountedon a shaft 9 arranged in the machine frame. On an actuating shaft 11, rotatably and shiftably mounted in the machine frame, an actuating wheel 13 is rigidly secured by means of a key 12.

The actuating wheel 13 can be shifted stepwise relative to the counting mechanism from order to order by a mechanism described further below which cooperates in each order with an intermediate wheel 14 which is constantly in mesh at its upper side with an indicating wheel 15 and at its lower side with a toothed wheel 16, the latter being in mesh with a counting wheel 17 serving for tens transfer end zeroizing. By lowering of the revolutions counting mechanism which is brought about by means of a cam disc not shown and an arm 18 of the lever 7 against the action of a spring tending to pull the counting mechanism upwards, the intermediate wheel 14 (Fig. 2) can be brought out of engagement with the shiftable actuating wheel 13 and the counting wheels 17 can be brought into engagement with zeroizing gear racks 19 longitudinally shiftably guided in the machine frame. When on the step wise actuation by the actuating wheel.

13 a passage from nine to zero or from zero to nine takes place in the concerned counting wheel 17 a tens tooth 21 laterally projecting from the counting wheel 17 (Fig. 1), engages the toothed wheel 16 of the next higher order and actuates same by one unit. When the counting wheel of a the next higher order was positioned in a fore-passage position, i.e. on additive actuation in the position nine, on subtractive actuation in the position zero, also the tens tooth 21 of this higher order actuates the toothed wheel 16 of the following order by one unit and so on. When such a transfer-running-through takes place through many orders the unavoidable back lash appearing between the teeth being in mesh with each other and brings about a progressively increased lagging behind of the higher counting wheels. With single actuated tens transfer mechanism it has already been proposed, following to the stepwise actuations, to correct the counting wheels by a rail or the like.

The increase of the resistance in a single tens transfer mechanism extending through many orders has further the .most disadvantageous efiect that some of the concerned members of the chain of toothed wheels, particularly with fast running machines, are subjected to an inadmissibly high strain.

In order to avoid this latter disadvantage-the back lash in the several tooth engagements is intentionally and essentially enlarged. A device is provided by which during the stepwise actuation the counting wheels will be corrected one after the other beginning from the right. To this end correcting levers 23 are mounted on an axle 22 (Fig. 1) likewise rotatably mounted in the counting wheel frame 5 which are provided with roof-shaped lugs 25 being pressed into the gaps of toothed wheels 16 under the action of shank springs 24, holding the wheels in its actuated position. Rear projections 26 of the correcting levers 23 cooperate with a correcting cam 27, which is formed according to a helical coil, as represented in Fig. 3, forming a part of a shaft 28 rotatably mounted inthe machine frame.

When after a running-through-tens transfer a toothed wheel 16 is not positioned correctly in its value position the roof-shaped lug 25 (Fig. 1) lays on one of the tooth flanks of the concerned tooth gap so that the projection 26 projects into the path of the helical ledge 27 and is pressed back by the ledge on the rotation of the shaft 28 which takes place in the direction of the arrow 29, whereby the toothed wheel 16 is adjusted into its correct value position the influence of the back lash being eliminated. On account of the helical form of the ledge 27 this correction is elfected beginning from the right in the different orders one after the other. It is obtained thereby,-that the accumulation of the resistance, regardless to the length'of the transfer running through, only can extend over some few orders, nevertheless, all counting wheels until the highest order are reliably adjusted into their correct value position.

The driving shaft 28 for the correcting ledge 27 simultaneously drives the stepwise actuating mechanism. Outside of the machine frame wall 31 (Fig. 5) the shaft 28 has secured to it an excentric pin 32 on which a bell crank lever 33 (Fig. 4) is rotatably mounted which embraces with its upper end a pin 34 of an arm 35 beared on the shaft 8, so that on the rotation of the shaft 28 the pin 34 will be oscillated about the shaft 8. On the pin 34 further a T-shaped actuating pawl 36 1s rotatably mounted which is usually drawn into a middle position by a spring 37 in which an actuating finger 38 secured to it in the form of a lateral pin is moved to and fro approximately in the direction towards the actuating shaft 11 on the rotation of the shaft 28, thereby engaging and disengaging a tooth gap of a drive wheel 39 secured unrotatably but shiftably on the shaft 11 leaving the actuating wheel uninfluenced. The transverse arm of the actuating pawl 36 is provided at each side of the journal pin 34 with a stop pin 41 and 42 cooperating with recesses 43, 44, respectively, of a sign setting arm 46 which 15 rockably mounted on a pin 45 of the machine frame. The sign setting arm 46 can be positioned by means of a linked rod 47 into the right hand rocking position as represented, into its middle position, or into the left hand rocking position.

In its middle position the drive wheel 39 isnot influenced by the setting arm. When, however, the setting arm 46 is positioned into its right or left hand rocking position the stop pin 41 or 42, respectively,strikes the upper wall of the recess 43 or 44, respectively, whereby the actuating finger 38 describes instead of a to and fro movement, a lashingcurve 48 or 49 by which the drive wheel 39 will be actuated further on in the one or other direction by one unit.

In the right hand rocking position of the sign setting arm represented in the Fig. 4, the pin 42 strikes the upper wall of the recess 44 so that on the rotation of the shaft 28 the actuating finger 38 will be turned off to the right and describes the lashing curve 49 moving the drive wheel 39 the shaft 11, the shiftable actuating wheel 13 (Fig. l) and the wheels 14 to 17 connected therewith further on by one subtractive actuating unit. When a transfer-running-through thereby takes place the shaft 28 simultaneously effects the echelonwise correction of the back lashes of the wheels 16 and 17.

When the setting arm 46 is positioned into its left hand rocking position, the stop pin 41 cooperates with the upper wall of the recess 43 so that the actuating finger 38 describes the lashing curve 48, thereby moving the drive wheel 39 together with the attached gear members by one additive unit.

The drive wheel 39 together with the shaft 11 and the toothed wheels 14 to 17 of that order onto which the actuating wheel 13 is shifted which are in connection with the shaft 11 through the actuating wheel 13, are normally held locked by a locking lever 51 (Fig. 4) and is released during the stepwise actuation of the drive wheel 39. To this end a pin 53 engages a bow-shaped slot 52 of the locking lever 51, the pin 53 being mounted on an arm 54 of the bell crank lever 33. On the rotation on the shaft 28 the locking lever 51 will be rocked back clockwise by means of the pin-slot connection 52, 53 in such a way, that it is out of mesh with the wheel 39 during the stepwise actuation of the wheel 39 and engages it again immediately after the finishing of the stepwise actuation.

In order to zeroizing the revolutions counting mechanism the latter is, as already mentioned, rocked downwardly by means of a lever arm 18 (Fig. 1) so that the toothed'wheels 17 come in mesh with the rack gears 19 being under the action of springs in the direction of the arrow 55 (Fig. 2). On the shafts 4 and 9-a lever 56 is mounted which is rocked according to the lever 7, 18 (Fig. l) and which is provided with a slit 58 (Fig. 2) embracing a pin 59 of a short lever arm 61 secured to a four edged abutment bar 63 rockable about the axis 62. The abutment bar 63 is provided with recesses 64 through which the teeth of the toothed wheel 16 can pass. It is normally positioned in the rock position represented in Fig. l in which abutment teeth 65 laterally projecting from the wheels 16 can pass the recesses 64 too.

On meshing the counting wheels 17 into the rack gears 19 (Fig. 2) the abutment bar 63 is rocked counterclockwise so that narrower recesses 66 arrive into the path of the teeth of the toothed wheel 16 which permit passing of the normal teeth of this wheel but not of the abutment teeth 65. When now the gearing racks 19 are released they will be moved under the action of their springs in the direction of the arrow 55 moving them the toothed wheel 14 to 17 until the abutment teeth 65 strike the abutment bar 63 in the manner represented in Fig. 2. The indicating wheels 15 then are standing on zero.

When in this situation the revolutions counting mechanism is again rocked upwardly it remains in its zero position whilst the racks 19 which will be locked in its adjusted position before unmeshing, are adjusted on the value previously contained in the revolutions counting mechanism. This value can be used further on in the machine in any manner, for instance for effecting further partial calculations and for the indication by means of another indicating mechanism. The correction lever 23 (Fig. 2) are raised out of the counting wheels 16 during the zeroizing in that projection 67 fixed to them strike the shaft 8 on lowering of the counting mechanism.

In order to warrant the correct reengagement of the counting wheels 14 with the shiftable actuating wheel after the zeroizing operation, for further calculations, which reengagement has to take place upon the rocking upwardly of the counting wheels under the action of springs, a roller 68 is beared on the lever 56 (Fig. 2) which roller cooperates with a circular recess 69 of a disc 71 secured to the shaft 28. When the revolution counter will not be brought quite into its upper position at the end of the zeroizing it will be safely moved into this position as soon as the shaft 28 will be rotated, as in this case the roller 68 will be pressed downwardly by the disc 71 and the rocking of the bar 56 is completed, when being remained behind, already before the stepwise actuation is accomplished.

The shifting movement from order to order of the said actuating wheel 13 will be effected by the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 6.

On a rigid arm 73 of the machine frame a connecting lever 75 is rockably mounted by means of a pivot 72. At its upper end the lever 74 is connected with the machine carriage 76 carrying the calculator and being moved from order to order in a known manner. The lower end of the lever 74 is pivotally connected to a ring 75 rotatably but unshiftably connected with the left end of the above mentioned actuating shaft 11.

When the machine carriage 76 is shifted to the right by one order the actuating shaft 11 together with said actuating wheel 13 will be shifted by an order of the counting mechanism to the left.

What I claim is:

1. In a revolutions counting mechanism for calculating machines, a counting wheel in each denomination, a single actuating shaft, common to all of the counting wheels, a single actuating wheel shiftably mounted on and unrotatably mounted with respect to said common actuating shaft for connecting said shaft with any one of said counting wheels, a single drive wheel secured to one end of said common actuating shaft, a single actuating pawl having an actuating finger cooperating with said drive wheel, a rocking lever pivotally mounting said actuating pawl, a driving shaft, an eccentric integral therewith pivotally mounting said rocking lever and adapted to oscillate said actuating pawl and actuating finger approximately in a radial direction with respect to said drive wheel, a lug at each side on said actuating pawl, a control abutment member having two abutments thereon, each abutment associated with a lug, means for adjusting one or the other of the two abutments into the path of its lug for retaining same on the oscillating movement of said actuating pawl for causing said actuating finger to deviate from its radial movement, whereby on the oscillating movement of said rocking lever the ad justed abutment causes said actuating finger to describe a lashing curve deviating from the radial direction towards one or the other side of said radial movement in order to actuate said drive wheel by one unit in the one or the other sense.

2. In a device according to claim 1, said lugs having the form of stop pins secured on either side of the middle line of said actuating pawl, a rockable sign setting arm adjustable into two rocking positions and carrying said abutments in form of recesses cooperating with said stop pins, whereby on rocking said sign setting arm said stop pins are alternately brought into mesh with said recesses in order to stop the engaging stop pin by one wall of the engaged recess on the oscillating movement of said rocking lever.

3. In a device according to claim 1, said rocking lever having an arm carrying a pin, a locking lever cooperat ing with said drive wheel adapted to lock it and having a bow-shaped slot embracing said pin, whereby said locking lever is forced to disengage said drive wheel during the movement of said lever onto said drive wheel and is forced to engage said drive wheel during the movement of said lever away from said drive wheel.

4. In a device according to claim 1, said driving shaft integral with said eccentric forming a cam in the form of a helically wound edge, intermediate wheels permanently in mesh with said counting wheels, correcting levers, one for each denomination, cooperating at their one ends with said intermediate wheels and at their other ends with said helically wound edge as soon as the actuating movement of said actuating finger is terminated, whereby during the rotation of said drive shaft said counting wheels are brought one after the other, beginning with the lowermost denomination, into their correct position.

5. In a device according to claim 1, said driving shaft integral with said eccentric forming a cam in the form of a helically wound ledge, correcting levers one for each denomination adapted to lock with their one ends said counting wheels and cooperating at their other ends with said helically wound edge, rack gears for zeroizing said counting wheels, means for bringing said counting wheels into mesh with said rack gears, projections integral with said correcting levers, a stationary transverse bar cooperating with said projections, and means whereby on meshing the counting wheels into the racks the projections strike said transverse bar thereby lifting said correction levers out of said counting wheels.

6. In a device according to claim 1, and a spring infiuenced rack gear associated with each counting wheel, means for bringing said counting wheels into mesh with said rack gears, an intermediate wheel in each order permanently in mesh with its counting wheel, an abutment bar, a zero projection at each intermediate wheel cooperating with said abutment bar, and means for displacing said abutment bar into the path of said zero projections, whereby after meshing the counting wheels into the rack gears they are permitted to return into their zero position under the action of the spring-infiuenced rack gears.

7. In a device according to claim 1, and rack gears, means for bringing said counting wheels into mesh with said rack gears, intermediate wheels, constantly in mesh with said counting wheels, an abutment bar located along said intermediate wheels, notches in said abutment bar allowing the teeth of the intermediate wheels to pass them, a lateral zero projection at each intermediate wheel, enlarged parts of said notches allowing said projections to pass them, and means for turning said abutment bar, whereby, when said enlarged parts are brought out of the path of said projections the counting wheels, on rotating, are stopped in its zero position.

8. In a device according to claim 1, rack gears for zeroizing said counting wheels, means for bringing said counting wheels into engagement with said rack gears, a disc on said driving shaft having a recess, a lever carrying a roller cooperating with said recess, connecting means between said lever and said means for bringing said counting wheels into mesh whereby the engagement movement of the counting wheels only can take place in the position of rest of the driving shaft, and whereby, on rotating the driving shaft, the counting Wheels will be pressed into their exact working position when out of engagement with the rack gears.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,165,337 Mays Dec. 21, 1915 1,931,113 Muller Oct. 17, 1933 2,170,406 Hamann Aug, 22, 1939 2,267,890 Avery Dec. 30, 1941 2,273,237 Walter Feb. 17, 1942 2,356,914 Blanche Aug. 29, 1944 2,716,524 Bliss Aug. 30, 1955 2,778,568 Russell Jan. 22, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 591,217 France Apr. 4, 1925 

